


Airtight Alibi

by Writingwife83



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Ben is a little shy and awkward, F/M, Mutual Pining, Prompt Fill, dorm neighbors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:01:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26032303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writingwife83/pseuds/Writingwife83
Summary: Dialogue prompt for- “I’m only here to establish an alibi” and “You’ve thought about this, haven’t you?”
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 10
Kudos: 67
Collections: Wifey’s Reylo Prompts





	Airtight Alibi

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Amalia Kensington (amaliak01)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/amaliak01/gifts).



> Being a college AU, I’m taking creative license and saying that Ben is only a few years older than Rey here. Cuz I gotta make the fluff fit hehe. :)

Ben leaned back against his too small sofa, flipping channels and thinking about how bored he was. Year four and he was more than ready to be done with this place. He was definitely ready to be out and on his own.

Weekends like this really amplified that feeling. He wasn’t exactly one for the social aspect of college life. He’d always seemed to either scare people off or manage to be just awkward enough to discourage them from continued encounters. He could practically hear his mother's voice in his head, urging him “just show people who you  _ really _ are.” That was easier said than done.

Just then, his partially open dorm door flew open and someone came darting in like a flash. She landed right next to him on his sofa, catching her breath and laughing a little.

“Hi,” she finally gasped out.

Ben managed a half smile, still confused as he registered who this was. “I see you have some pie.”

Not the best opening lines. But it was fitting, considering she was literally holding pie.

“Yeah.” She held up the tin pan, taking another bite of the piece that was left in it and speaking with her mouth full. “Sorry for barging in. I’m only here to establish an alibi. This was Finn’s last piece of pie. I’ve been studying for hours and I just had to have it! I’m Rey, by the way.”

Oh, he definitely knew who she was. Since she’d casually strolled into the dorm building at the beginning of the year, he’d been more than a little captivated. She really was like a little ray of sunshine, and always surrounded by people who were clearly drawn to her warmth. That was a bit intimidating for him, seeing as he knew he’d never been the type to come across as a warm and sunshiny person. So he’s only ever given her quick greetings in passing, never even managing an actual introduction, let alone a conversation. 

“Hi,” he replied with a little nod. “I’m Ben.”

Rey smiled. “Yeah, I know who you are. You’re hard to miss.”

His brows must have lifted in pleasant surprise a bit too obviously because she laughed after taking another bite of pie. 

“I don’t mean that in a bad way,” she added. “You’re just, y’know-”

“Tall?”

“No. Well,  _ yeah _ , obviously. But I was gonna say you have a certain presence. You‘re interestingly...mysterious.”

Mysterious wasn’t the worst thing he’d ever been called. Apparently he hadn’t scared her off yet.

After Rey took another bite, Ben suddenly found the fork being thrust toward him, a heaping piece of blueberry pie on it. He glanced from the fork to her, frowning a little.

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me you don’t like pie. Come on, I’m not disease ridden, and it's the least I can do since I barged in and am expecting you to cover for me.”

Ben hesitated a second more, then finally closed his mouth around the fork, obediently taking the bite. He refrained from commenting on the fact that this was a subpar frozen pie and he’d like to show her what a real pie was like.

“So,” Ben said after finally gulping down the obvious mass of high fructose corn syrup. “How exactly am I gonna cover for you?”

Rey chewed the last bite and set the pie pan down. “I was here with you all afternoon!”

Ben smirked. “Oh yeah? And what have we been doing while  _ not _ eating stolen pie?”

She shrugged adorably, and his heart raced just from her bare arm brushed against his.

“Well, you being such a seasoned college student, maybe I stopped by for some advice on certain classes. You invited me in, all too happy to teach me a few things. We talked serious stuff for a while of course, but then we started watching…” Rey gestured to the little tv across from them. “Whatever stupid film happened to be on. We didn’t end up paying much attention though.”

She paused, her cheeks turning slightly pink. 

“We actually just kept talking and ended up getting to know each other. And before we knew it, hours had gone by. So obviously, I couldn’t have been in Finn’s room stealing pie.”

Ben nodded slowly, silently praying he wasn’t misreading signs, because there certainly seemed to be a lot of them. Her eyes seemed to be sparkling at him, she was chewing her lip, and he could swear her gaze kept flickering to his mouth. There was really only one way to find out if he was imagining things or not.

“I know this is about the pie, but I’m also kinda wondering...” He gave her just the ghost of a smile. “You’ve thought about this, haven’t you?”

“I might have,” Rey replied softly then gave him a little smirk. “Mostly for the pie though.”

“Right.” He didn’t even try to hide the way his gaze settled on her lips. “Well, thank goodness for that pie.”

When she grinned he felt like he’d been showered in warm and brilliant light. He’d already known she was beautiful of course, but it was a whole other level being up close like this.

This was it, he thought, drawing a breath of courage. Ben decided he wasn’t going to let this unbelievable, albeit unexpected moment go to waste. He could practically hear her asking him to lean in…

Just then, Armitage Hux walked in, rolling his eyes and letting out a short laugh as his eyes fell on the two people sitting on the sofa. 

“Thank God you  _ finally _ made a move,” he commented. “It’s been frankly torturous, watching you drool over her from afar all year. We’ve all seen it!”

“Armitage, would you shut up and  _ get out _ !” Ben snapped at his roommate. 

He shot Ben a scowl. “Fine, but I’m coming back in exactly half an hour. It’s my room too!”

“God, I can’t stand him,” Ben muttered as the door shut again, leaving them alone. “Sorry about that.”

He was mortified and knew his face was beet red, but the way Rey was giggling almost uncontrollably beside him made him feel a little better. At least she was entertained, even if the romantic moment had been ruined.

But Ben found himself pleasantly surprised all over again as her little hand darted out, grabbing the front of his tee shirt in a fist and tugging him toward her.

“He might be crabby, but I think you should listen to your roommate,” Rey said, so close he could almost taste her as her voice dropped to a whisper. 

“Make a move.”


End file.
